Memorandum 109
Submission from the United Kingdom Atomic
Energy Authority (UKAEA), Culham
1. EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
- Fusion has enormous potential as a major,
environmentally responsible, source of essentially limitless energy.
The UK has a unique role and capability in fusion development,
operating the world's leading facility JET ("Joint European
Torus") and the innovative, compact device MAST.
- Many of the remaining scientific hurdles
will be removed by the international experiment, ITER, being built
in France. Due to its size and complexity, ITER will also test
key technologies for power stations.
- To position the UK to be a major force
in developing fusion systems once ITER is operational, Culham
has begun, with EPSRC backing, a gradual transition from fusion
science to technology. The nuclear components of future systems
are a critical focus because they will contain the most Intellectual
Property and therefore have the most commercial value.
- Recognising that engineering is key to
the economic viability of fusion, Culham is developing with universities
training programmes to strengthen fusion engineering.
- The synergies between fusion and fission
engineering are substantial. Therefore, fusion development would
benefit from the training of a new generation of nuclear engineers.
And in turn, fission could benefit from engineering expertise
nurtured in the UK fusion programme.
- Recommendation The fusion programme should
play a role in revitalising UK nuclear engineering for the benefit
of both fusion and fission.
WHO WE
ARE
2. The mission of UKAEA Culham is "To
capitalise on the major assets at Culham to (a) advance fusion
science and technology to the point of commercialisation; and
(b) position the UK to participate in the future fusion power
economy". We are funded by EPSRC and EURATOM to undertake
UK fusion research and operate JET for a collective European programme
to prepare for ITER (JET is led by Dr. F Romanelli for the European
Fusion Development Agreement). In the last decade, with its MAST
facility, UKAEA has pioneered a promising compact approach to
fusion, called the "Spherical Tokamak". JET and MAST
give the UK a number of world-leading and in some cases unique
capabilities.
3. Increasingly, UK universities are involved
in the research. This includes joint training of students in a
wide range of disciplines and at all levels. There are contributions
from some twenty universities, with expanding efforts at York,
Imperial College, Oxford, Cranfield, Warwick and Strathclyde.
4. At UKAEA's Culham site there are approximately
225 engineers and 135 physicists. Of the 52 PhD students in October
2007, 11 were in engineering & technology, four in materials
science and 37 in plasma and related physics. For engineers, Culham
has Graduate Development and Monitored Professional Development
Schemes based on the UKSpec competencies giving access to chartered
status. The Culham apprenticeship scheme was re-launched in 2005
and now has 14 apprentices.
FACTUAL INFORMATION
What is fusion?
5. Fusion powers the stars. Because of the
very hot temperatures required, producing and sustaining a fusion
system is a major scientific and engineering challenge. Strong
magnetic fields are required to hold the hot, burning gas ("fusion
plasma") away from the vessel walls.
6. Fusion power would emit no greenhouse
gases and so would not contribute to global warming. Its basic
fuels (Lithium and deuterium-a form of hydrogen extracted from
seawater) are virtually inexhaustible. Unlike fission, fusion's
reaction products are not radioactive. Radioactivity is, however,
produced by the neutrons hitting the materials surrounding the
fusion gas. But, if these materials are chosen carefully the radioactivity
is short lived and the affected materials can be recycled quickly.
There are inherent safety features. Estimates of the cost of fusion
electricity show that it could be competitive with clean coal
and renewables. It is therefore a promising, environmentally responsible,
sustainable, large-scale source of base-load electricity.
7. Reactors will fuse deuterium and tritium
("heavy" and "super-heavy" hydrogen) to make
very energetic neutrons and helium. The tritium will be made by
fusion neutrons striking lithium in a blanket surrounding the
fusion reactor. The blanket will also absorb the neutrons' energy,
and it is this heat that will be used to generate electricity.
The engineering and materials science challenges for the vessel
walls, the blanket and other components, have many features in
common with fission systems.
THE ROADMAP
FOR FUSION
8. The European plan for fusion development
outlines the steps required to begin operation of a demonstration
power station ("DEMO") within 30 years. The scientific
basis needed to design a fusion burning plasma device has already
been established on JET and other machines. The international
community is building this device, ITER, in France. It will operate
in around ten years and eventually achieve power output ten times
the power input. Because of its size and complexity, ITER will
also test key technologies for power stations. ITER operation
will be accompanied by testing of the candidate materials for
DEMO on the IFMIF device. Finally, a Component Test Facility (CTF)
will be needed to develop blanket and other nuclear technologies
for DEMO and the commercial power stations that will follow. The
most promising option for a CTF is a Spherical Tokamak.
9. UKAEA Culham and its university partners
aim to play a leading role in the Roadmap. Specifically we are:
- preparing for a major role in ITER experiments;
- building a strong technology design and
prototyping programme;
- developing the Spherical Tokamak as the
outstanding candidate for a relatively compact CTF. This requires
a major upgrade of MAST; and
- taking a central role in DEMO studies.
10. Ten years from now, the UK should be
participating in ITER experiments and developing the science and
technology needed for the prototype stage of fusion energy (DEMO
and CTF). Twenty years from now, the UK should be playing a significant
role in the prototype stage of fusion development.
NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
IN THE
FUSION PROGRAMME
11. The nuclear components are critical
to the commercial viability of fusion power. They will also contain
the most Intellectual Property and therefore have the most commercial
value. If it is to play a major role in the fusion power market,
it is essential that the UK develops an expertise in these critical
technologies. With EPSRC's backing, we have started the transition
from fusion science to engineering to position the UK to be a
major force in developing fusion systems, especially the nuclear
components.
12. This ambitious agenda requires trained
engineers across a wide range of skills. Recently, major projects
at Culham (totalling ~£100 million) have required the recruitment
of many engineers. This has been achieved in many areas, often
by attracting professionals from high-technology industries. However,
it recruitment remains difficult in electrical and planning/project
engineering. As we move more to nuclear systems engineering, we
anticipate that recruitment will be at least as hard and we may
have to look overseas for suitably trained staff.
13. Engineering synergies between fusion
and fission include materials, structural integrity, heat transfer
and the remote handling needed to maintain and refurbish reactors.
To meet our needs, Culham is developing with universities training
programmes to nurture fusion engineering. Fusion would also benefit
greatly from the training of a new generation of nuclear engineers
and fission will benefit from expertise developed by the fusion
programme.
June 2008
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